The formation and use of thermal reflectors to provide heat insulation is well known. Thermal reflectors are frequently used to insulate buildings from heat gain or loss. The thermal reflector reflects infra-red radiation, thereby keeping the impending radiant energy, or heat from the sun away from the interior of a building or other enclosure. In this manner, the building is kept cool, minimizing the energy required to cool the interior of the building, by air-conditioning or fans.
The industry has utilized a variety of metallic reflector products that reflect infra-red radiation. The majority of these reflectors are paper-backed metallized reflectors that are not durable and corrode when subjected to moisture, salt spray or intense heat.
Layers of goldized film have also been used in multi-layered insulation blankets by NASA satellites in space to protect against the impact of infra-red radiation. Gold has been used because other metallized films corrode when exposed to humidity, moisture, or salt spray. Thermal reflectors which use gold or other valuable metals are disadvantageous, however, in that they are costly and of limited availability.
As more stringent demands are made upon the construction industry to provide buildings which are energy and cost-efficient, the need for more inexpensive, durable and efficient thermal insulators is increasingly prevalent.